I’m so excited to have a new author interview to share with you! Camille Peters is the author of the Kingdom Chronicles series. Reflection (Book 4) is a her most recent release. Here is the blurb:
Princess Rheanna’s self-esteem shattered when her former fiancé unexpectedly ended their betrothal. Years later, the rejection continues to haunt her, and now that she’s faced with yet another unwanted political engagement, Rhea will do anything to avoid another heartache.
When a mysterious lure draws Rhea to an abandoned turret of the palace, she discovers a magic mirror and is shocked to find a snarky man trapped inside. Although she agrees to help break Drake’s curse, things quickly grow complicated, for not only does she begin to fall in love with him, but breaking a curse proves quite difficult when she herself feels trapped––by her own self-doubts.
Rhea and Drake’s relationship sets in motion a series of events that threaten both herself and her kingdom. As she seeks to unmask the evil within the palace and overcome the poisonous doubts consuming her mind, Rhea must make a difficult choice between the path she’s expected to walk and the man she’s forbidden to love. But the more time she spends with Drake, the less convinced she becomes that doing her duty will be worth the sacrifice it will cost her heart.
Inspired by “Snow White”
I love that gorgeous cover and the premise sounds so interesting! Get it here.
Let’s get to the interview…
Turns out your real life is actually a fairy tale retelling. Which fairy tale is it? (And which character are you?)
Beauty and the Beast, where I’m Belle currently spending all my time immersing myself in both my own stories and others’ as I search for my own prince, who like the beast requires me to see deeper in all I meet so that I can discover him. Even though my fairy tale romance hasn’t yet happened, my life is still magical and feels like a fairy tale because of all the enchanting experiences I’ve been blessed to have and will have, for I’m sure my happily ever after is just around the corner.
Your fairy godmother gives you an extra, distraction-free hour every day but you’re not allowed to use it to write. What do you do with your extra hour?
I’ll go on a long, bare-foot walk through the park before curling up with some hot cocoa and a good book.
What was your inciting incident as an author? Share the moment or catalyst that made you say, “Okay, I’m doing it. I’m going to write a novel.”
That moment actually happened when I was three years old and my mother taught me to read. I immediately fell in love with the written word and read every book I could get my hands on. By the time I started attending school, I was writing my own stories. I always knew I’d become an author. It simply took years of writing different stories before I found the genre I wanted to begin my author journey pursuing.
What fairy tale sidekick do you need in your life?
I’ve always found unicorns enchanting. I’m always on the lookout when I go exploring.
Do you have a consistent writing routine? What’s it like?
Since I write full time, I treat it as a job and strive to get 6-8 hours in every day. I often also write on weekends as I love it and can’t bear to be away for long. When I’m not writing, I’m exploring ideas and writing scenes inside my head. My imagination is always alive.
Current writing music:
I always listen to instrumental music, which varies day by day.
If you weren’t writing fairy tale retellings, what genre would you be writing?
I’m actually already working on two series––a fantasy romance set in a world in the sky where the beings create the dreams we have at night (a trilogy that’s almost finished), as well as a medieval fantasy series that’s similar in feel to my current stories except they’re not based on fairy tales. One day I hope to begin writing Regency romance, but that’s a ways down the road; I have too many ideas in my current genres to explore first!
What is the craziest (or most fun) thing you have done as research for your novels?
I wanted to dedicate more time to studying my craft, so I enrolled in a year-long creative writing program in England, a place I’ve always adored and wanted to live. I not only learned a lot, but the long walks I took through the English countryside and the beautiful places I toured were so inspiring.
What advice would you give to your just-starting-out-writing self?
Don’t waste so much time being stuck on a project that you don’t write at all. Instead, use that time to brainstorm new ideas and work on another story. I wasted so much time over the years dealing with writer’s block before I realized that I’m a polygamous writer who does much better working on multiple stories at once, because whenever I’m tired of one or am not sure where the story needs to go, I can turn to another.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a writer?
Always believe in yourself and know that it’s a dream that’s within your reach if you never give up. Being a writer was always something I knew I would do. This passion and knowledge gave me the strength to ignore those who tried to discourage me from this dream. If I’d listened to them rather than my heart, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Describe your approach to fairy tale retelling. How you decide where and how to twist the original or keep it as is?
My stories are all inspired by the fairy tale more than direct retellings. I take the original idea and use it as the seed for my own idea; the more I nourish it, the more it grows into something unique while still being recognized as being rooted in the original fairy tale. I love taking elements from the original tale and twisting it in a way that makes it my own. Most of the common elements from the original are used symbolically in my story or as my story’s theme; those who are familiar with the original tale will be able to discover them. I also try and make my story feel like a fairy tale, both in the world my stories are set in and the way they’re told.
How did you come up with your fairy tale fantasy world? What details were the most fun to write about?
Whenever I think of fairy tales, I always think of princesses, so I wanted to create my own world made up of several different kingdoms and give each member of the royal family a happily ever after.
I also wanted to give the setting a medieval, fairy tale feel while weaving elements of magic and fantasy throughout the setting. So far my favorite is both the magical moving Forest that plays a prominent role in my first novel, Pathways, and the enchanted gardens in my upcoming novel. Nature is very dear to my heart, so I wanted to make something that already feels magical to me become enchanted in some way. I love creating settings with a light element of magic so that they feel more real, like something we can discover and explore in real life rather than just through the pages of my books.
Are there any “Easter eggs” in your books that readers should keep an eye out for?
Other than sharing many symbolic references to the original fairy tale I’m retelling, most of my books either refer to or provide hints about the books to come. In addition, I usually heavily focus on the characters in an earlier book whose own story is coming next as a way to lay the groundwork for their story and get readers interested in and excited for their tale.
What NON fairy tale fiction books (or series) are you loving right now?
I’m obsessed with clean Regency romance, mostly because I feel my old-fashioned, elegant-loving soul belongs in that time period.
Connect with Camille on her website, Facebook, Instagram, Bookbub, or Amazon author page.